'Thor 2' Changes Dates, Will Now Land In Theaters On November 15, 2013

Sorry superhero fans, it looks like the wait for “Thor 2” is going to be a bit longer than expected.

First announced this summer for a July 26, 2013 bow, Disney has now rescheduled the movie to November 15, 2013. At first glance it might seem that the recent upheaval with “The Lone Ranger,” which is now landing on May 31, 2013, might have played a part, but considering that movie will likely be long gone from theaters by “Thor 2″‘s original date, the much more probable reason is that the movie was facing some very stiff competition. The first three weeks of July 2013 see Steven Spielberg‘s “Robopocalypse,” Guillermo Del Toro‘s “Pacific Rim” and Tom Cruise‘s “Oblivion” all hitting theaters. “Thor 2” would have been in the unenviable position of arriving on the tail end of those movies, and the move to November, while unusual for a comic movie, is a smart play. The animated “Phineas and Ferb” will take over the July 26 date, giving moms and dads a family film option at the end of the month.

Traditionally, November has been the domain of Oscar material or big mainstream comedies or family films hoping to lure in Thanksgiving holiday crowds, but that seems to be changing. “Breaking Dawn” will hit theaters next month on November 18th (with the sequel arriving in the same frame in 2012), and the “Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire” is copying from the same playbook, landing on November 22, 2013. So is November the new July? Not just yet, but in terms of genre/geek/niche fare, it’s relatively untapped, and with less competition, it gives movies like “Thor 2” much more room to play.

Meanwhile, the film has still not officially locked down a director, though last we heard, “Monster” director Patty Jenkins was the latest name to be in contention. Last month Vulture caught up with helmer who has confident yet cagey about her involvement. “I can’t say, but yes,” she said when asked if she’ll be directing. “I can’t say anything definitive, but it’s exciting to be in talks with them about it.”

“I think Marvel is really ballsy to think outside the box,” she added. “And I think everyone they’ve talked to and hired has been interesting.” So the wheels are definitely in motion, but we’ll just have to wait four months longer for “Thor 2” to hit theaters.